To Save or Not to Save: The Question of Rubber Bands and Shimmer Inks

I could never turn the doorknobs in my grandmother’s house when I was a child. My great-grandmother, who had lived through two World Wars and The Great Depression saved every single rubber band that came into the house. That single rubber band that held together the daily newspaper for a few years…you do the math. Grandma Anne would carefully take them off the newspaper and place them on one of the many interior doorknobs of her daughter’s house. Opening the doors required reaching up with both of my tiny hands, endeavoring to get a grip and eventually calling her daughter, my grandmother Johnnie Jo, for help.

“Why does Grandma need so many rubber bands?” I’d ask my grandmother.

“My mother lived through the Depression and the wars when you couldn’t get any.”

“You seem to have plenty now. Maybe Grandma could stop?”

“She’s afraid there might come a time when she’d need them, and she might not be able to get more,” my grandmother would reply semi-patiently.

“But she never uses them for anything.”

“I know, but she’d miss them if she couldn’t find any.”

“She could find them on the doorknobs,” I’d reply confidently.

Child logic. Rinsed and repeated every visit.

My maternal grandmother Margaret saved and reused every possible brown paper bag or clear plastic bag that came her way. She would carefully flatten out aluminum foil to reuse, washing it if needed. She even had a special, organized drawer in the kitchen for these things. Cool Whip containers and jelly jars were free Tuperware for the delicious leftovers she inevitably sent home with me until I was nearly 40. – I still desperately miss her chicken and dumplings.

Granules and more granules…any size you need

After she died at the age of 91, my mother began clearing out her things and found countless nice bed jackets, nightgowns, and bathrobes she had bought my grandmother over the years. Everything was carefully and lovingly kept in tissue paper in the gift boxes they’d arrived in. Whenever my mother would inquire why her mother didn’t wear them, if they weren’t to her liking or didn’t fit, Margaret would reply, “Huuuuuuuuuunnnnnn,” (Hon, as in honey, was her preferred term of endearment, dragged out into a Southern drawl of 20 or more syllables.) “I like them just fine, but they’re too nice for every day. I’m saving them for a special occasion.”

“Mother, I can buy you more. Enjoy them while you still can.”

“Ok,” she’d lie.

A Small Section of My Ink and Paint Stash

On March 13, 2020, a day late into the COVID-19 panic buying, I jumped online and ordered extra pans of my favorite Kremer watercolors and Shimmer Inks and Colira metallic watercolors from John Neal Books. The very idea that I might be trapped inside for a few weeks while running out of cobalt blue turquoise or pale gold, or that I might never know the joys of Colira’s new blue/pink interference color Medusa was as unthinkable as running out of toilet paper.

I felt guilty about the people who would pack, ship, and deliver my absolute essentials, but I consoled myself with the reality that I was able to help other small businesses at a time when their products might not fly off the shelves as fast as hand sanitizer.

Gouache and Colored Pencils, Anyone?

When the products arrived, the impulse to hoard them, to save them, to cherish them and look longingly at their undisturbed labels and surfaces coursed through my veins. Such careful conserving of supplies has been hard wired into my brain if not actually identifiable in my genes. Instead I disinfected their packaging with an alcohol based cleaner and dived in.

The organic potatoes we carefully ration. The organic Fuji apples and Haas avocados I lovingly wash, eat, and enjoy while ripe, never taking for granted that we are still able to get them, delivered by people on the front lines no less. To waste them is always wrong, but now, when more might or might not be an option, it is even more so. Don’t even get me started on the toilet paper thing.

I now know first hand why my grandmothers saved rubber bands and aluminum foil. They lived through a time that I could not even imagine in the future. Every breath, even in Atlanta with its pollen count over 8000, breathed in automatically is precious.

Praise for Giving Voice: “Remarkable Work”

I love Giving Voice. This remarkable, inspiring and unique book is a magical journey unlike any other and is beautifully done. Rich colors and patterns metamorphise into stunnning images created by reknown artist Victoria Lansford. Her words dance and flow across the pages filled with insightful thoughts and expressions. The music is contemplative, sophistocated and lovely. I would highly recommend this book as a gift to others or for one’s self.

RogueJoan via Apple Books

Victoria lansford

2018-11-22T17:37:11-05:00

RogueJoan via Apple Books

I love Giving Voice. This remarkable, inspiring and unique book is a magical journey unlike any other and is beautifully done. Rich colors and patterns metamorphise into stunnning images created by reknown artist Victoria Lansford. Her words dance and flow across the pages filled with insightful thoughts and expressions. The music is contemplative, sophistocated and lovely. I would highly recommend this book as a gift to others or for one’s self.

https://victorialansford.com/testimonials/roguejoan/

Praise for Giving Voice: “Amazing”

Giving Voice is what ‘multimedia’ is supposed to be! Visual art, music, and spoken word brought together in a complementary manner. Whether you're checking out a few pages to get a quick pick-me-up of pen, ink, and piano, or parking yourself in one spot to lose yourself in the gestalt, or doing something in between, you’ll find something new inside to keep coming back to.

Anonymous via Apple Books

Victoria lansford

2018-11-22T17:41:05-05:00

Anonymous via Apple Books

Giving Voice is what ‘multimedia’ is supposed to be! Visual art, music, and spoken word brought together in a complementary manner. Whether you're checking out a few pages to get a quick pick-me-up of pen, ink, and piano, or parking yourself in one spot to lose yourself in the gestalt, or doing something in between, you’ll find something new inside to keep coming back to.

https://victorialansford.com/testimonials/amazing/

“Victoria is a true artist and shares her gift teaching with patience, passion, good humor, and enthusiasm…”

I just spent the most wonderful week-end with one of the best teachers that I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. Victoria is a true artist and shares her gift teaching with patience, passion, good humor, and enthusiasm...she has an infectious laugh, and you can't help laughing with her while she encourages you to achieve levels of skill that you didn't know you had. 11 other jewelry students and myself came into her workshop on Saturday having never picked up a hammer to do repousse ever before and all learned more from her in this one weekend than we thought possible. She spent time with each of us, pointing out better ways to solve whatever problems that we were having pushing the metal around to make it do our bidding. Victoria, I can't wait until you come back to us!

Patti D'Arbanville
Artist, Actress

Victoria lansford

2017-11-06T18:03:04-05:00

Patti D'Arbanville
Artist, Actress

I just spent the most wonderful week-end with one of the best teachers that I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. Victoria is a true artist and shares her gift teaching with patience, passion, good humor, and enthusiasm...she has an infectious laugh, and you can't help laughing with her while she encourages you to achieve levels of skill that you didn't know you had. 11 other jewelry students and myself came into her workshop on Saturday having never picked up a hammer to do repousse ever before and all learned more from her in this one weekend than we thought possible. She spent time with each of us, pointing out better ways to solve whatever problems that we were having pushing the metal around to make it do our bidding. Victoria, I can't wait until you come back to us!

https://victorialansford.com/testimonials/patti-darbanville/

“It’s beyond beautiful…”

No painting, song, or sculpture had ever moved me like your art did. It's beyond beautiful, I cannot describe my feelings. Each piece is so organic, they look alive. Each one left me with different feelings, mostly: wonder, amazement, happiness, and curiosity. Some even a soft anger or loss. But each one left me emotionally rolled. You're work is....life changing. I've finally heard the thundering beacon of what I want for my future. And that is to someday be as an amazing of an artist as you.

I thank you so much for what you do.

Alexandria Reyes
Phoenix, AZ

Victoria lansford

2017-11-06T18:30:18-05:00

Alexandria Reyes
Phoenix, AZ

No painting, song, or sculpture had ever moved me like your art did. It's beyond beautiful, I cannot describe my feelings. Each piece is so organic, they look alive. Each one left me with different feelings, mostly: wonder, amazement, happiness, and curiosity. Some even a soft anger or loss. But each one left me emotionally rolled. You're work is....life changing. I've finally heard the thundering beacon of what I want for my future. And that is to someday be as an amazing of an artist as you. I thank you so much for what you do.

https://victorialansford.com/testimonials/alexandria-reyes/

“I wish to compliment you on the wonderful DVD you and your production crew produced to introduce your method, knowledge, and vision for Russian Filigree…”

I wish to compliment you on the wonderful DVD you and your production crew produced to introduce your method, knowledge, and vision for Russian Filigree. The DVD demonstrates, so honestly, your dedication, skill and techniques that you have given to master this artful jewelry. You hold back nothing and give so much. This is the best teaching DVD that I have purchased in a long time. Thank you once more for the opportunity to learn from you.Cordially,

Dolores Lewis
Dean Emeritus Moore College of Art

Victoria lansford

2017-11-06T17:52:13-05:00

Dolores Lewis
Dean Emeritus Moore College of Art

I wish to compliment you on the wonderful DVD you and your production crew produced to introduce your method, knowledge, and vision for Russian Filigree. The DVD demonstrates, so honestly, your dedication, skill and techniques that you have given to master this artful jewelry. You hold back nothing and give so much. This is the best teaching DVD that I have purchased in a long time. Thank you once more for the opportunity to learn from you. Cordially,

https://victorialansford.com/testimonials/dolores-lewis/

“In Japan, Victoria would be considered a national treasure…”

Victoria teaches techniques used for millennia to create many of the great works of art one can see in museums. Though these techniques had fallen into disuse due to their labor intensive nature, Victoria has found many tricks that streamline and improve the processes, and she uses them to make strikingly contemporary pieces rooted in the ancient world.

One will never go into a hardware store with the same mind set again. Students are given a series of challenges and opportunities to grow their own inner voices and are encouraged to create works unique to them, at their levels of ability.

The number of places one can learn these skills in the US can be counted conveniently on one's thumbs. In Japan, Victoria would be considered a national treasure, and she would be funded to pass these skills on to the next generation.

Al Boyers, Metalsmith

Victoria lansford

2017-11-06T18:06:31-05:00

Al Boyers, Metalsmith

Victoria teaches techniques used for millennia to create many of the great works of art one can see in museums. Though these techniques had fallen into disuse due to their labor intensive nature, Victoria has found many tricks that streamline and improve the processes, and she uses them to make strikingly contemporary pieces rooted in the ancient world. One will never go into a hardware store with the same mind set again. Students are given a series of challenges and opportunities to grow their own inner voices and are encouraged to create works unique to them, at their levels of ability. The number of places one can learn these skills in the US can be counted conveniently on one's thumbs. In Japan, Victoria would be considered a national treasure, and she would be funded to pass these skills on to the next generation.

https://victorialansford.com/testimonials/al-boyers/

“by the way in which you have brought it to light, it takes a refreshing approach in a learning and applicable direction….”

It is a very old technology of course, but by the way in which you have brought it to light, it takes a refreshing approach in a learning and applicable direction. This is good for the learning curve of the students in the jewelry arts, to show that we should respect the artisans and their contributions from much earlier times, and not to get caught up in just the "new" methods of application and materials.

Chris Hullinger, Metalsmith

Victoria lansford

2017-11-06T17:51:18-05:00

Chris Hullinger, Metalsmith

It is a very old technology of course, but by the way in which you have brought it to light, it takes a refreshing approach in a learning and applicable direction. This is good for the learning curve of the students in the jewelry arts, to show that we should respect the artisans and their contributions from much earlier times, and not to get caught up in just the "new" methods of application and materials.